Category Archives: Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

My musings on various authors and their books and articles relative to cross-cultural partnership

From the Lausanne conference in Cape Town: “Partnership in global mission”

Global Christian mission, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, World news affecting partnership

The world economy seems fragile. Some so-called “rich” Western nations are teetering with default. Leaders are trying to avoid another global recession. Presidents are treading a  delicate balance between satisfying the demands of the voting public—with the interdependency of globalized economies.

Will the global Church show the way forward? Will globally-minded followers of Jesus Christ embrace their interdependence—while acknowledging the unique God-ordained dignity and honor of every national and ethnic identity?

The Lausanne Movement speaks to these questions. This is from the Foreward of “The Cape Town Commmitment: A Confession of Faith and Action”:

The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization (Cape Town, 16-25 October 2010) brought together 4,200 evangelical leaders from 198 countries, and extended to hundreds of thousands more, participating in meetings around the world, and online. Its goal? To bring a fresh challenge to the global Church to bear witness to Jesus Christ and all his teaching – in every nation, in every sphere of society, and in the realm of ideas.

The Cape Town Commitment is the fruit of this endeavour. It stands in an historic line, building on both The Lausanne Covenant and The Manila Manifesto. It is in two parts. Part l sets out biblical convictions, passed down to us in the scriptures, and Part ll sounds the call to action.

The very last part of the document—the final section of the Call to Action—deals with partnership in the Body of Christ.

Here is an excerpt under the title, “Partnership in global mission”:

Partnership in mission is not only about efficiency. It is the strategic and practical outworking of our shared submission to Jesus Christ as Lord. Too often we have engaged in mission in ways that prioritize and preserve our own identities (ethnic, denominational, theological, etc), and have failed to submit our passions and preferences to our one Lord and Master. The supremacy and centrality of Christ in our mission must be more than a confession of faith; it must also govern our strategy, practice and unity.

We rejoice in the growth and strength of emerging mission movements in the majority world and the ending of the old pattern of ‘from the West to the Rest’. But we do not accept the idea that the baton of mission responsibility has passed from one part of the world Church to another. There is no sense in rejecting the past triumphalism of the West, only to relocate the same ungodly spirit in Asia, Africa, or Latin America. No one ethnic group, nation, or continent can claim the exclusive privilege of being the ones to complete the Great Commission. Only God is sovereign.

a.    We stand together as church and mission leaders in all parts of the world, called to recognize and accept one another, with equality of opportunities to contribute together to world mission. Let us, in submission to Christ, lay aside suspicion, competition and pride and be willing to learn from those whom God is using, even when they are not from our continent, nor of our particular theology, nor of our organization, nor of our circle of friends.

b.    Partnership is about more than money, and unwise injection of money frequently corrupts and divides the Church. Let us finally prove that the Church does not operate on the principle that those who have the most money have all the decision-making power. Let us no longer impose our own preferred names, slogans, programmes, systems and methods on other parts of the Church. Let us instead work for true mutuality of North and South, East and West, for interdependence in giving and receiving, for the respect and dignity that characterizes genuine friends and true partners in mission.

How encouraging! It is very much the spirit in which our missional learning journey, The Beauty of Partnership, was developed. In a globalized world with fragile economies, the last thing we need are the Christians who “hunker down” with the attitude that happiness is a small circle. 

If ever there was a need for training in intercultural understanding and healthy cross-cultural partnerships, that time is now.

Click on this link to download the whole document, “The Cape Town Commmitment: A Confession of Faith and Action”.

We have a blind spot about “honor and shame”… here’s why

Global Christian mission, Honor and shame, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership,

honor and shame graphic

Timothy Tennent book
Timothy Tennent’s book—Theology in the Context of World Christianity: How the Global Church is Influencing the Way We Think About and Discuss Theology—a valuable resource for Christians in cross-cultural ministry

Christians in America and the West have a hard time seeing the pivotal cultural value of honor and shame in Scripture. According to Timothy C. Tennent, there is a blind spot in our systematic theology textbooks:

Since Western systematic theology has been almost exclusively written by theologians from cultures framed primarily by the values of guilt and innocence, there has been a corresponding failure to fully appreciate the importance of the pivotal values of honor and shame in understanding Scripture and the doctrine of sin. Even with the publication of important works such as Biblical Social Values and Their Meaning and The New Testament World, systematic theologians have remained largely unchanged by this research.

Bruce Nichols, the founder of the Evangelical Review of Theology, has acknowledged this problem, noting that Christian theologians have “rarely if ever stressed salvation as honoring God, exposure of sin as shame, and the need for acceptance as the restoration of honor.” In fact, a survey of all of the leading textbooks used in teaching systematic theology across the major theological traditions reveals that although the indexes are filled with references to guilt, the word “shame” appears in the index of only one of these textbooks. This omission continues to persist despite the fact that the term guilt and its various derivatives occur 145 times in the Old Testament and 10 times in the New Testament, whereas the term shame and its derivatives occur nearly 300 times in the Old Testament and 45 times in the New Testament.

This is clearly an area where systematic theology must be challenged to reflect more adequately the testimony of Scripture. I am confident that a more biblical understanding of human identity outside of Christ that is framed by guilt, fear, and shame will, in turn, stimulate a more profound and comprehensive appreciation for the work of Christ on the cross. This approach will also greatly help peoples in the Majority World to understand the significance and power of Christ’s work, which has heretofore been told primarily from only one perspective.[1]

“This omission continues to persist …” Yes, that means there’s a blind spot.

The result? Seminaries in the West teach the Bible with an “honor and shame blind spot.” Pastors-to-be and leaders attending those seminaries acquire the blind spot. In turn, the blind spot has filtered into the common language and understanding of Christians everywhere in the West. Some of them, in turn, export the “honor and shame blind spot” around the world. Systematic theology textbooks from the West are used in seminaries all over the world … and the “honor and shame blind spot” is perpetuated.

Interestingly, the pivotal cultural value of honor and shame—as found in that Eastern book called the Bible—is also prominent in non-Western nations today. In the Majority World—consisting of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East—honor and shame is still a pivotal cultural value.

This has major ramifications for cross-cultural ministry efforts … for how we share the gospel of Jesus Christ … the kind of language we use … the degree to which our words touch each others’ hearts … for the depth of friendship between people in the West and people in the Majority World.

Honor and shame in cross-cultural relationshipsMy free 30-page article, “Honor and Shame in Cross-Cultural Relationships,” helps address this need. It is an introduction to the subject of honor and shame. The article helps you understand five basic culture scales through the cultural lens of honor and shame, gives examples from the Bible, and offers practical suggestions to Western believers so they can better understand their friends in the Majority World—for healthier cross-cultural relationships and partnerships. It is available by clicking here.

1. From Theology in the Context of World Christianity: How the Global Church Is Influencing the Way We Think about and Discuss Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007) p. 92–93, (footnotes withheld).

Results from the 2010 U.S. Census: It’s here and now—the rising need to train believers to build authentic cross-cultural relationships

Global trends, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

The Brookings Institute has released an eye-opening report based on the 2010 U.S. Census: America’s Diverse Future: Initial Glimpses at the U.S. Child Population from the 2010 Census, written by William H. Frey. It focuses on the faster than expected rise of the ethnic diversity of the child population in America. The report has profound implications for the local church and Christian ministries.

These are the two most startling facts from this report:

  • New minorities—Hispanics, Asians, and other groups apart from whites, blacks, and American Indians—account for all of the growth among the nation’s child population. From 2000 to 2010, the population of white children nationwide declined by 4.3 million, while the population of Hispanic and Asian children grew by 5.5 million.
  • Ten states and 35 large metro areas now have minority white child populations. Child populations in the Atlanta, Dallas, Orlando, and Phoenix metro areas flipped to “majority minority” by 2010.

This Brookings paper on the 2010 U.S. Census explores the compelling facts about the increasing ethnic diversity of America—a diversity which, in America’s child population, is growing more rapidly than expected. For churches in America, the facts in the report represent more than a ministry challenge for the distant future. This is about seeing the needs and seizing the golden opportunities for cross-cultural ministry and cultural understanding. It’s about serving children and families, building God’s kingdom cross-culturally—right here, right now.

Here are 14 ramifications I see for the Church in America—based on the Brookings report concerning the 2010 U.S. Census.

Because of the rapid increase of the ethnic diversity of the child population of America, I suggest that discerning pastors and other Christian leaders will …

  1. See the gift and seize the opportunity.
    These remarkable demographic shifts among the youth of America are God’s gift. All too often these changes are viewed fearfully. But these changes need not be viewed as a threat; rather, these changes represent an enormous opportunity which is specially suited for the Church. Is there not an expectation from God toward his people to seize these opportunities to bless other peoples and nations?
  2. Prioritize youth and children.
    Recognize the immediate priority for training youth leaders and children’s ministry leaders in Christ-centered Cultural Intelligence (CQ). Increasingly, the children and youth whom they serve are from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
  3. Pursue cross-cultural friendships with other leaders.
    The U. S. Census findings show that while the white child population declined by 4.3 million, there was a corresponding increase of 5.5 million in the Latino/Asian child population. Opportunities for cross-cultural ministries and partnerships between leaders and their communities will continue to grow. Leaders who are bi-lingual and/or comfortable in another culture will have advantages over those who are not.
  4. Ride the trends through training.
    The mega-trends of globalization and the migration of the peoples have amplified the need for training in cross-cultural ministry. Savvy leaders will embrace the reality that the long-term health of the Church is at least partly dependent on this: Devoting resources to training ordinary believers in the local church to relate well to people from other cultures.
  5. Equip laity in CQ.
    Christ-centered Cultural Intelligence (CQ) training used to be for the experts. In the Church, the “experts” are represented by professional career missionaries. But the demographic changes represented by this 2010 Census report strongly imply a major shift needs to happen. That shift is from the assumption that CQ is an exclusive thing for professionals—to an assumption that it is a basic commodity, basic training for everyone—for ordinary believers from child to youth to adult. It’s a vision where CQ training becomes a normal part of Christian discipleship.
  6. Embrace “glocal.”
    Healthy churches will embrace cross-cultural ministry locally and globally. Missions is no longer characterized as just sending people or resources from here at home to way over there; rather, the mandate of God’s Word and the opportunities implied by the 2010 U. S. Census and other global trends—is to bless all peoples, both local and global, or “glocal.” It’s from everywhere to everywhere.
  7. Teach local/global all the time.
    The great pastors will preach and teach God’s Word consistently to their congregations with a global blessing mentality. As a result, their members’ capacities for cross-cultural ministry locally and globally will increase. The annual missions conference, or an annual missions-emphasis weekend will increasingly become a thing of the past. Only regular preaching and teaching with a local+global cross-cultural theme will satisfy the cross-cultural ministry demands of the local church.
  8. Teach WHY; teach HOW.
    It’s one thing to know the biblical basis for blessing all the peoples of the earth. The role of the preaching pastor is clear in this regard. But it is a whole different thing to equip ordinary believers with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to build relationships cross-culturally. The effective church will give ample attention to equipping average believers in this regard.
  9. Expect generation-based tensions.
    This is nothing new. But it could get worse. Older generation lay leaders—the Baby-Boomers and older in the church family (usually the bigger givers)—are comfortable with the cultural status quo. Young, ethnically diverse members of our churches will likely have very different priorities for ministry. This will create tension and will require much patient prayer, listening and navigational expertise.
  10. Anticipate shock … and joy.
    Culture shock will not be something believers experience only on far-away mission trips. Might it also become a routine aspect of local church ministry? On the other hand, believers who are trained in building authentic cross-cultural relationships will find even more joy in following Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all peoples and nations.
  11. Seek out the sage.
    Who are the sages of cross-cultural understanding in the Christian world? Are they not the seasoned missionaries and ministries with years of experience serving or partnering cross-culturally? Seek those missionaries and ministries who love to train ordinary believers in local churches to build healthy cross-cultural relationships and partnerships. Many are longing to serve you. Is it wise to think you don’t need them? Don’t reinvent the wheel.
  12. Explore the CQ resources. In addition to The Beauty of Partnership Study Guide available though this website, there are several books designed to help leaders acquire Cultural Intelligence. A quick search at amazon.com will make you aware of the number of books available.
  13. Remember the unreached peoples far away. The increasing ethnic diversity of our own communities, especially in urban settings, may tempt some Christian leaders to think that reaching the peoples within their own community—is satisfactory obedience to Scripture. But Jesus said, “…make disciple of all nations… (Matt. 28:19) and “be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). The temptation to focus on “local alone”, regardless of how ethnically diverse it may be, should be avoided for a balanced approach that is local, regional, and global.
  14. Expect great blessings from God.
    This represents a huge opportunity for the local church to participate in the grand over-arching purpose of God—to bless all the nations of the earth through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Expect cross-cultural ministries and partnerships—locally and globally—to become more fruitful, more exciting, more dynamic. Obedience to Jesus Christ combined with cross-cultural understanding and training will result in a great harvest of transformed lives—for the glory of God.

Download the article here: America’s Diverse Future: Initial Glimpses at the U.S. Child Population from the 2010 Census, written by William H. Frey of the Brookings Institution.

New book on cross-cultural partnership focuses on money and missions

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

Mary Lederleitner has provided a valuable service to the Church. Her book, Cross-Cultural Partnership: Navigating the Complexities of Money and Mission, has much from which we can learn.

In my blog, I intend to highlight several things from the book which liked or which I found particularly helpful. I’ll begin with this quote from chapter 2:

A core concept in many collectivistic societies is “face.” Many people in individualistic cultures make the mistake of assuming it is the same thing as reputation. However, its meaning and role in society is far greater. Individualistic cultures navigate life by utilizing a currency of money, but collectivistic cultures navigate life by using a currency of face.[1]

For those of us in the West, the idea that “face” has its own “currency” is for most a new idea. But when you apply this understanding to cross-cultural partnerships, it can bring insight to financial and accountability misunderstandings. In her book, Mary frequently connects a principle to a real-life story and makes the principle come alive.

Individualistic societies like those in America and many Western nations have very different ways of thinking about money in comparison to the more group-oriented peoples of the Majority World. So in a cross-cultural partnership, handling money and accountability in a healthy way requires an extra measure of wisdom and cultural intelligence on all sides.

Considering all the “complexities of money and mission,” it is no wonder that so much can go wrong and often does. Cross-cultural partnerships are challenging, but when done in a healthy way—informed by both Scripture and cultural intelligence—Mary believes they can be a powerful kingdom-building strategy. Needless to say, I agree with her.

Mary writes from her many years of experience working as a CPA with Wycliffe International; this afforded her many opportunities to serve as a bridge between a predominantly Western agency and indigenous Christian mission organizations. She tells many stories “from the trenches.” Thus, Mary has a strong grasp of both the peril and value of cross-cultural partnerships. Add to that Mary’s high regard for biblical guidance and wisdom … this all combines for a compelling vantage point from which to write and serve others who are engaged in the world Christian movement.

I highly recommend Mary Lederleitner’s book, Cross-Cultural Partnership: Navigating the Complexities of Money and Mission.

1. Mary Lederleitner: Cross-Cultural Partnership: Navigating the Complexities of Money and Mission (Downers Grove, InterVarsity Press, 2010) p. 45.

What is “managerial paternalism?”

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Helping the poor, Organizational competence, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership
Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert are the authors of this excellent book

From When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert …

Managerial paternalism is perhaps the hardest nut to crack. We middle-class North Americans love to see things get done as quickly as possible. Relative to many other cultures, including many low-income communities in North America, we are prone to take charge, particularly when it appears that nobody else is moving fast enough. As a result, we often plan, manage, and direct initiatives in low-income communities when people in those communities could do these things quite well already. The structure and pace might well be different if the low-income communities undertook the project themselves, but they could do a good job nonetheless.

The authors then go into the reasons for managerial paternalism, and the alternatives. If you want to know more, you should buy the book!

At Mission ONE, we do not try to run our partners’ ministries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. We do not tell outstanding indigenous Christian leaders how to manage their financial administration, how to delegate responsibility, how to do accountability in their culture, how to pursue their vision. We do ask, “How can we serve your vision?” We do require quarterly reports covering ministry progress, stories, prayer requests and financial disbursements. We do trust one another, not only as organizational partners, but as friends who serve the Lord together for God’s glory.

With these kinds of relationships between Mission ONE and our ministry partners in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, we avoid managerial paternalism. Want to know more about Mission ONE’s ministry partners? Write to me at werner@mission1.org.

What is “knowledge paternalism?”

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Godly character, Helping the poor, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership
Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert are the authors of this excellent book

From When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert …

All of us need to remember that the materially poor really are created in God’s image and have the ability to think and to understand the world around them. They actually know something about their situation, and we need to listen to them! This does not need to degenerate into some sort of new-age ,“the-truth-is-within-you” quagmire. Like all of us, the materially poor are often wrong about how the world works and can benefit fro the knowledge of others. In fact, a key trigger point for change in a community is often being exposed to a new way of doing something. But it is reflective of a god-complex to assume that we have all the knowledge and that we always know best.

Knowledge paternalism may be a particular temptation for Christian businesspeople from North America, many of whom are showing considerable passion for using their God-given abilities to train low-income entrepreneurs in the Majority World. This passion is a wonderful development and has enormous potential to advance Christ’s kingdom around the world. But the fact that a person successfully operates a software company in Boston does not ensure that this person has the best business advice for a highly vulnerable farmer living on one dollar per day in the semi-feudal institutional setting of rural Guatemala. Humility, caution, and an open ear are in order.

I appreciate the respect the authors show to the materially poor for the knowledge they do possess. This need for this is amplified when Christian leaders from North America enter into cross-cultural partnerships with Christian leaders in the Majority World, who as indigenous followers of Christ, usually have a clearer understanding—better knowledge—of how to share the love of Jesus and build God’s kingdom in their community.

The ideal in a cross-cultural partnership is to learn from one another and to learn together. This has the effect of deepening the relationship reservoir from which to pursue your ministry goals, and to work through inevitable misunderstandings.

For more on paternalism: What is “resource paternalism?” /  What is “spiritual paternalism?”

What is “resource paternalism?”

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Godly character, Helping the poor, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership
Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert are the authors of this excellent book

I have been reading When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. The authors argue that a common unhealthy practice of North American Christians toward the poor is paternalism. Note: Since I am reading this book with an Amazon Kindle, I am referencing the book using the Kindle reference system which is by “location” rather than by page number.

Avoid paternalism. Do not do things for people that they can do for themselves. Memorize this, recite it under your breath all day long, and wear it like a garland around your neck. (location 1690)

The authors have outlined five types of paternalism.

  1. Resource paternalism
  2. Spiritual paternalism
  3. Knowledge paternalism
  4. Labor paternalism
  5. Managerial paternalism

I am grateful for the work of Corbett and Fikkert in making these distinctions about the various kinds of paternalism. With this post, I am beginning to write my take on each of these “paternalisms.”

I define resource paternalism as the practice of providing money, materials or other assets to people or organizations who could otherwise provide it themselves.

Resource paternalism hurts the poor because it tells them indirectly that they do not have the ability to provide for themselves, thus harming their dignity as responsible, capable, creative persons made in God’s image. It hinders the development of the poor because it reinforces the idea that they lack the capability to address their own problems. Resource paternalism advances a worldview that contributes to the cycle of poverty.

Resource paternalism hurts the non-poor because it releases resources that could have been invested more wisely and effectively for God’s kingdom in other ways. Moreover, it contributes to a “poverty of spirit” on the part of the non-poor—pride and arrogance—failing to recognize that, in the words of Corbett and Fikkert,

… until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do far more harm than good.

Can middle- and upper-class Christians from North America avoid paternalism, and rather, take an attitude of servanthood toward people in poverty—an attitude which recognizes “our mutual brokenness” and rejects a spirit of pride and superiority?

What do you think?

Excellent resources from Chalmers: "Helping the Church—Help the Poor—Help Themselves"

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Helping the poor, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership
The Chalmers Center at Covanant College has developed an outstanding ministry of training Christians for helping the poor in the most biblical and effective

I have finished reading When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself, by Steve Corbett and Dr. Brian Fikkert. Steve and Brian draw upon decades of experience as practitioners, researchers, and trainers in economics and community development both in North America and around the world. They serve with The Chalmers Center at Covenant College. From what I have gathered from their book and their web site, their work and range of services is simply outstanding. I recommend them both to you.

“Duplicated Effort vs. Partnership”

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Organizational competence, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

The Lausanne World Pulse web site has an article by Ken Lane of Focus on the Family. Lane makes several good points that relate to the practice of cross-cultural partnership. Mr. Lane argues that:

Duplication of effort arises within an organization because of:

  • Ignorance. Different business units are unaware of similar efforts by other business units.
  • Pride. Different business units believe their approach to meeting needs is the only correct way.
  • Confusion. Different business units are unclear about who should be doing what in relation to each other (no integrated plan).

Duplication of effort arises outside of organizations because of:

  • Ignorance. Organizations are unaware of similar efforts by other organizations.
  • Pride. Organizations believe their approach to meeting needs is the only correct way.
  • Confusion. Organizations are unclear about who (which organization) should be doing what in relation to each other (no partnership plan).

Read the full article here.

Ken Lane is senior director of global strategic development for Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. He also serves as a member of the Lausanne Strategy Working Group. Lausanne World Pulse is Published as a joint effort between the Institute of Strategic Evangelism, Evangelism and Missions Information Service and Intercultural Studies Department (Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill. USA) and the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization.

“Globalization in Retreat”

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Global trends, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

Below is an excerpt from Roger C. Altman’s[1] article in Foreign Affairs, entitled “Globalization in Retreat: Further Geopolitical Consequences of the Financial Crisis.” This article represents a macro/secular/western/American point of view; I believe there is much for us to consider as followers of Christ who serve as advocates of cross-cultural partnerships. The article begins with the following four paragraphs. It is well worth reading the whole article, which is available here.

It is now clear that the global economic crisis will be deep and prolonged and that it will have far-reaching geopolitical consequences. The long movement toward market liberalization has stopped, and a new period of state intervention, reregulation, and creeping protectionism has begun.

Indeed, globalization itself is reversing. The long-standing wisdom that everyone wins in a single world market has been undermined. Global trade, capital flows, and immigration are declining. It also has not gone unnoticed that nations with insulated financial systems, such as China and India, have suffered the least economic damage.

Furthermore, there will be less global leadership and less coordination between nations. The G-7 (the group of highly industrialized states) and the G-20 (the group of finance ministers and centralbank governors from the world’s largest economies) have been unable to respond effectively to this crisis, other than by expanding the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The United States is also less capable of making these institutions work and, over the medium term, will be less dominant.

This coincides with the movement away from a unipolar world, which the downturn has accelerated. The United States will now be focused inward and constrained by unemployment and fiscal pressures. Much of the world also blames U.S. financial excesses for the global recession. This has put the U.S. model of free-market capitalism out of favor. The deserved global goodwill toward President Barack Obama mitigates some of this, but not all of it.

What might the macro-perspectives in Altman’s article mean for Christians who are advocates of cross-cultural ministry partnerships?

  1. With their relatively insulated economies, India and China “have suffered the least economic damage.” Might this mean that India and China will become less dependent on resources from the West? Will Christian leaders from India and China assert greater leadership in the world Christian movement?
  2. “…creeping protectionism has begun.” Could this mean that more people in the American evangelical missions community will invest more in local missions? Will a form of “protectionism” in the local church cause a wane in the short-term missions movement—or a reduction in funds available for global concerns?
  3. What are the implications stemming from the likelihood that the “global economic crisis will be deep and prolonged?” That funding for the Great Commission originating from North America will decline? That Christian leaders will take a harder look at the ways that their missions resources are being invested? Will this result in more funding for indigenous ministries, which inherently cost less, and less funding for westerners who want to go as missionaries?
  4. “Much of the world also blames U.S. financial excesses for the global recession. This has put the U.S. model of free-market capitalism out of favor.” Will this hinder the influence of U.S.-based global mission efforts? Or will the “global goodwill” toward President Obama make it easier?
  5. Given the vast numbers of immigrants from non-Western nations and unreached peoples in North American cities, will local churches focus more resources on reaching these people in their own communities?

What do you think? Please comment below.

1. Roger C. Altman is Chair and CEO of Evercore Partners. He was U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary in 1993–94.